From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S262446AbTLDPV5 (ORCPT ); Thu, 4 Dec 2003 10:21:57 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S262546AbTLDPV5 (ORCPT ); Thu, 4 Dec 2003 10:21:57 -0500 Received: from bay7-dav34.bay7.hotmail.com ([64.4.10.91]:4876 "EHLO hotmail.com") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S262446AbTLDPVy (ORCPT ); Thu, 4 Dec 2003 10:21:54 -0500 X-Originating-IP: [24.61.138.213] X-Originating-Email: [jason_kingsland@hotmail.com] From: "Jason Kingsland" To: "Linus Torvalds" , "Kendall Bennett" Cc: References: Subject: Re: Linux GPL and binary module exception clause? Date: Thu, 4 Dec 2003 10:21:55 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1158 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1106 Message-ID: X-OriginalArrivalTime: 04 Dec 2003 15:21:53.0647 (UTC) FILETIME=[58E1B7F0:01C3BA7A] Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org On Wed, 3 Dec 2003, "Linus Torvalds" wrote: > And in fact, when it comes to modules, the GPL issue is exactly the same. > The kernel _is_ GPL. No ifs, buts and maybe's about it. As a result, > anything that is a derived work has to be GPL'd. It's that simple. > ... > - anything that has knowledge of and plays with fundamental internal > Linux behaviour is clearly a derived work. If you need to muck around > with core code, you're derived, no question about it. If that is the case, why the introduction of EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL and MODULE_LICENSE()? Specifying explicit boundaries for the module interface has legitimised binary-only modules. This was the signal to developers of proprietary code that binary-only modules are tolerable. Note that I said tolerable, not acceptable. Ref also the 'tainted' flag ("man 8 insmod") My personal view is that Linux should mandate GPL for all modules in 2.6 and beyond. The Kevin Dankwardt article gives an alternative perspective for Linux embedded use: http://www.linuxdevices.com/articles/AT5041108431.html